It has been announced that Jim Edgar, who served as 38th Governor of Illinois, passed away on Sunday, September 14, 2025.
Edgar was born in Vinita, Oklahoma and later raised in his father Cecil’s hometown of Charleston, Illinois. A lifelong Republican, Edgar was first elected as state representative for the 53rd District in 1976; he later served as Secretary of State for Jim Thompson from 1981 until he won the gubernatorial election in 1990.
As Governor of Illinois, Edgar paid down extensive state debt during his tenure in office, improving the state’s bond ratings and balancing the state budget. He has been characterized as a “Rockefeller Republican,” with broadly fiscally conservative policy and more liberal-leaning social policies: during his time as governor Edgar oversaw the implementation of per-student minimum school funding requirements in order to improve equity in education outcomes. A page of from Edgar’s website highlights his work to preserve the state’s natural resources: Edgar’s Cash for Clunkers policy paid car owners to take older, more pollutive vehicles out of operation in exchange for modern, more fuel efficient alternatives. Edgar was also part of the national lobby which convinced President Bill Clinton to back a tax break on ethanol blended gasoline products in 1998.
A number of state officials released statements upon the announcement of Edgar’s passing.
“MK and I are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Governor Jim Edgar,” declared current Governor JB Pritzker:
Governor Edgar was a model public servant, a devoted father and husband, and an honest and honorable man.
I was lucky enough to consider him a friend and mentor and have found myself drawing from his words of wisdom on countless occasions. His commitment to reaching across the aisle in service of the people of Illinois undeniably made our state better.
Now more than ever, we should channel that spirit and resolve to live as Governor Edgar did: with honesty, integrity, and an enduring respect for all.
He will live on in the incalculable number of lives he touched and in the stronger institutions he helped build. To honor his legacy, I will direct flags across Illinois to half-staff.
My thoughts are with Brenda, Brad, Elizabeth, and his entire family. May his memory be a blessing.”
“Jim Edgar was an amazing man and an incredible public servant. More importantly, he was a great friend and advisor to me,” said Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who praised Edgar for his legacy of nonpartisan administration:
Jim spoke frequently about the importance of the ‘Three C’s’: Civility, Compromise and Compassion – words that resonate more than ever today. Together, he believed they served as the foundation of a healthy democracy, knowing that as Americans, we work best when we collaborate and work out our differences, show compassion toward those who need help, and treat one another with respect and dignity.
For Jim, compromise was not surrender; compassion was not weakness; and civility was not placation. Together, these principles give us the space to stand firm in our beliefs and to speak passionately without being disrespected, dehumanized or attacked.
As we mourn his death, we can honor Jim by choosing to believe that – regardless of our differences – a better world is possible through kindness. While the need for a civil, a collaborative and a compassionate political climate is more important than ever with today’s polarizing politics – the duty and responsibility of restoring the Three Cs begins with each one of us.
Edgar had been diagnosed earlier in 2025 with advanced pancreatic cancer. He was receiving treatment from the Rush University Medical Center of Chicago and from Mayo Clinic while in his winter home in Arizona. His family wrote that he died in his Springfield home on Sunday as a result of complications of his cancer treatment.
